MORRIS DANCERS AT WOODBOROUGH

WILTSHIER. The Testimony and Examinacon of
William Farmoe and Joan his wife of Woodburrough at Pewsey
before me John Ashe Esqre one of the Justices of the Peace the
twentieth day of May in the yeare of our Lord God 1652.

Who say the Edward Smyth and Edward Hawking of Woodburrow
did upon the last Lords Day being the 16th of the Instat May after
diner time Travaile and goe to a place called Allcannings and there
did invite severall people of Cannings aforesayd to the number of
twelve persons neer there aboute who upon the Munday morning
following came armed with musketts powder match and bandaleares
which they brought with them to Woodburroughe and that Robert Golfe
alsoe of Woodburroughe went unto Marlburroughe upon the said
Lords Day to gett a drummer to head the sd leude company and aboute
one a clocke that same Sunday night came away out of Marlburghe
with the sd drummer to Woodburrough. And they further say that
Thomas Beasant of Woodburroughe labourer did upon the sayd Lords day
goe into a place called Ram Ally in the pishe of Easton and there
invited and procured a fidler who came to Woodburroughe upon Munday
morning following and by the instigacon of the before named partie
three hundred persons or there aboutes were assembled and gathered
together in a Riotous Routous Warlicke and very disorderly manner
with Musketts pistolls bills swords drawne and other unlawful weapons,
who upon Munday the said 17th of May did march together to the pishe
of Pewsey and there very disorderly daunced the Morrice daunce and
committing severall other misdemeanors there as drinkeing and Tipling
in the Inn and Alehouse till many of them were drunke.

(Signed) JOHN ASHE.

Collected by the wife of a colleague of Peter Contrastano
from Wiltshire, UK, county records (court records from 1652)